Does Tekonsha 90195 P3 Brake Controller Constantly Draw Power From Vehicle Battery

Question:

Does the P3 controller display shut off at a certain time or is it always lit when plugged in to the 12 VDC power.

asked by: Charles J

Expert Reply:

The controller does receive a constant 12V from the vehicle battery. This is done as a safety measure to ensure that the controller has a direct, uninterrupted power supply and so the user can't accidently forget to turn the controller on before towing.

Like every brake controller I'm aware of, after between 10-20 minutes of inactivity, the Tekonsha P3, part # 90195 will go into a 'sleep mode'. When it's in the sleep mode, the controller will only draw a miniscule amount of power. You'd need to leave the vehicle unattended for months before you'd need to worry about the controller draining the battery.

If the vehicle will be left unattended for a long period of time, you can unplug the controller from its harness. (Just don't forget to plug it back in, please.)

I've linked to a demonstration video that shows how the controller works.

expert reply by: Mike L